It's amazing how fast a story can change. Just 48 days ago, Chris Chelios was an inspiration. Today, he's pathetic.

In November, I watched Chelios, the 47-year-old future Hall of Famer, practice with a bunch of kids on his minor league hockey team, the Chicago Wolves, in his attempt to get back to the NHL. We talked, and then I celebrated his unwillingness to give in, to grow up.

Now, I have one thing to say to him: For heaven's sake, Chris, just grow up already.

Chelios was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and speeding on Dec. 28 in a Chicago suburb. He was arrested at 4:12 a.m. Police in suburban Westmont have declined to release his blood alcohol level.

"The biggest issue for me is enjoying myself,'' he said in November. "I'm not worried about my legacy. I'll know when to quit. I'm not going to embarrass myself.''

You've embarrassed yourself.

A few weeks ago, Chelios' story seemed to be about a guy who wanted to play it out for all his body would give him, to get every last drop out of himself. We see athletes go on too long and embarrass themselves but Chelios didn't seem like that at all.

He was playing in the NHL just last year, and he's still got it, though in shorter stretches. The Phoenix Coyotes were already interested in him.

Now, he looks like a sad overage frat boy. Is that all this was about, an unwillingness to come home from the party?

For some reason, I'm thinking about Al Bundy, still living in his high school football days.

Chelios is going to turn 48 in a few weeks. He has made millions of dollars. And he can't take a cab home after having a few too many drinks?

Let's not pretend that drinking isn't a part of hockey culture. We've heard about post-game pacts -- coaches must stay in the hotel bar, while players have to go elsewhere.

In November, some of the kids on the Chicago Wolves talked about following his example, watching his amazing work ethic. But I'm not even sure whether those kids are going to be affected. They already know the hockey culture.

I suppose he doesn't really have to be a role model to his teammates, even though many of them probably idolized him when they were kids. But while an arrest is not a conviction, there is no way to understand why a man of his age and this stature would allow himself to be caught with his pants down like this.

The Wolves declined to comment, calling it a "personal issue.''

Here is a former Olympian, a Stanley Cup champ, willing to move back in with his parents -- and his son -- near Chicago while his wife and daughters stayed behind in Detroit.

He didn't want to uproot them. He was willing to put off his personal life a little longer, travel with a bunch of young hopefuls on a bus, sharing hotel rooms, playing on 25-day contracts in a league that pays in the mid-five figures.

Fourteen players on the team weren't born until after he had started in the NHL. In practice, he was skating around on a half-ice with twice as many players as would fit, a bunch of young kids, and one guy with gray in his beard, not working hard, but having fun.

A few days earlier, a 1950s song came over the p.a. in the locker room, and the team started teasing him: "Chelios. Is that your iPod?" You could cherish him for the fight, and for his commitment, not to mention his age-defying act.

Not defending Chelios...but I am sure most of us have driven under the influence numerous times, just not gotten caught...and I'm sure he's done this dozens of times...he just got caught this time.Without seeing what his blood alcohol content was, I'll reserve judgment. If he was barely over the limit, then this isn't a huge deal...we've all done that. If he was way over, then yeah, ok...he's a dumbass.

It could just be that he was speeding, got pulled over...and just happened to be barely over the legal limit because he had a couple beers in a short period of time.

Not defending Chelios...but I am sure most of us have driven under the influence numerous times, just not gotten caught...and I'm sure he's done this dozens of times...he just got caught this time.Without seeing what his blood alcohol content was, I'll reserve judgment. If he was barely over the limit, then this isn't a huge deal...we've all done that. If he was way over, then yeah, ok...he's a dumbass.

It could just be that he was speeding, got pulled over...and just happened to be barely over the legal limit because he had a couple beers in a short period of time.

Ugh...am I defending Chelios?? What's wrong with me?

I respectfully disagree completely...

(Open disclosure: I don't drink, and never have, so I'll admit that I can't speak from experience. But this is a hot-button issue for me, since I have a daughter who will soon be driving.)

I don't care if he was "barely over", or if "we've all done that". If you even suspect that you've had too much to drink, you shouldn't be driving, period. Driving is dangerous enough for everyone involved when people are sober -- you're getting in metal cages going at high speeds just 4 feet away from each other, often in opposite directions -- it only takes a fraction of a second to make a bad decision that gets someone KILLED and a family destroyed.

So to me, it is a HUGE deal -- getting behind the wheel even SLIGHTLY impaired is incredibly horribly dangerous for you and everyone else on the road. Just because you've gotten away with it a number of times doesn't make it acceptable to me.

...according to this website 33% of fatal car accidents had a drunk driver involved.

so, dosn't that mean that 66% of fatal car accidents had a sober driver involved?

i'm not saying if you're plastered you should go on a road trip (although there are plenty of people do this intentionally (see 'road tripping' or 'red bud, il' or 'rolla, mo')) because you are significantly impaired. there are no two ways about that.

however, the legal limit of .08 is a little ridiculous in my opinion. as long as you pay attention and look up the road, and not get into the 'tunnel vision' you should have a significant amount of time to see what is coming. keep in mind, i'm talking about someone who is over the limit of .08, but not totally hammered (see '4 or 5 beers').

also, these stats are probably skewed a little bit because they consider anyone 'drunk driving' to be anyone over .08, so we aren't talking about people that are necessarily wasted, but people that have had some drinks and are (probably due to bad driving habits) likley to get in an accident anyway, drunk or not.

Well, consider how many drunk drivers are on the road versus sober ones. Is it even 1 in 10? Doubtful, but lets say it is. Each time you come to a stoplight of nine other cars, one person is DUI-ing it up, maybe you.

Now, lets say there is a fatal car crash when the light turns green. There is a 33% chance the drunk driver was to blame and a 7.3% chance that it was someone else.

Give him the Vick/Burress/Stallworth treatment and take away his license.

Not defending Chelios...but I am sure most of us have driven under the influence numerous times, just not gotten caught...and I'm sure he's done this dozens of times...he just got caught this time.Without seeing what his blood alcohol content was, I'll reserve judgment. If he was barely over the limit, then this isn't a huge deal...we've all done that. If he was way over, then yeah, ok...he's a dumbass.

It could just be that he was speeding, got pulled over...and just happened to be barely over the legal limit because he had a couple beers in a short period of time.

Ugh...am I defending Chelios?? What's wrong with me?

I respectfully disagree completely...

(Open disclosure: I don't drink, and never have, so I'll admit that I can't speak from experience. But this is a hot-button issue for me, since I have a daughter who will soon be driving.)

I don't care if he was "barely over", or if "we've all done that". If you even suspect that you've had too much to drink, you shouldn't be driving, period. Driving is dangerous enough for everyone involved when people are sober -- you're getting in metal cages going at high speeds just 4 feet away from each other, often in opposite directions -- it only takes a fraction of a second to make a bad decision that gets someone KILLED and a family destroyed.

So to me, it is a HUGE deal -- getting behind the wheel even SLIGHTLY impaired is incredibly horribly dangerous for you and everyone else on the road. Just because you've gotten away with it a number of times doesn't make it acceptable to me.

Sorry for the rant... just passionate about this....

Yeah, I know.I was more or less talking to those who are being critical of him when they themselves probably do the same thing from time to time.Glass houses commentary I guess.

I don't condone his actions either...but I've driven after having a few drinks...everyone has...so it's hard for me to rip him a new one, and trust me, I'd love to. Now, I've never driven when I've been "wasted". But after having a couple drinks at a bar/restaurant and then driving home would probably barely put me over the limit, but I was fine to drive. I think people who get pulled over when they are barely over the limit, aren't getting pulled over because they were drunk, they are being pulled over for something they would have done sober but just happened to get caught doing it after having a couple drinks.Does that make sense?

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